Try GOLD - Free
Declassified papers show UK interest in Falkland Islands oil
The Guardian
|June 14, 2022
British ministers were keen to exploit oil around the Falkland Islands before and after the 1982 conflict, declassified government documents show.
In a previously unpublished letter, the former chancellor Norman Lamont said the revenues from Falklands oil should go to the British government, not the Falkland islanders.
"I have no doubt that in the event of a major oil find, tax revenues should accrue to the UK exchequer. That seems to me only equitable given the very substantial financial as well as other sacrifices that the UK has made... to secure the freedom of the Falkland Islands," Lamont wrote to the foreign secretary, Douglas Hurd, on 21 October 1991.
He added: "We would not want to give credence to the accusation that our Falkland Islands operation was motivated by a belief that there was oil to be found in Falklands waters, which would be quite untrue."
This story is from the June 14, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Guardian
The Guardian
'I just want to be safe' The refugees returned to France
Afran, an Iranian asylum seeker, sits forlornly across the road from a Paris shelter, hemmed in between vast slabs of concrete and thundering trains above.
5 mins
November 18, 2025
The Guardian
Reselling event tickets for profit to be outlawed
Reselling tickets for profit is to be outlawed under plans to be announced this week, the Guardian has learned, as the government goes ahead with a long-awaited crackdown on touts and resale platforms such as Viagogo and StubHub.
3 mins
November 18, 2025
The Guardian
A tougher approach
33-page document reveals detail of policies
2 mins
November 18, 2025
The Guardian
Videos by UK-based activist 'encourage' militia in Sudan
A British citizen based in Sheffield appeared in a TikTok live broadcast laughing along while a notorious fighter from Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces group boasted about participating in mass killings in the city of El Fasher.
3 mins
November 18, 2025
The Guardian
Born to run
'A drug that's very safe and healthy': what ultrarunners teach us about life
4 mins
November 18, 2025
The Guardian
President's reversal on disclosure of documents reveals his inability to control Maga allies
Donald Trump’s call for Republicans to back the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files is a rare instance of the president being unable to tame his Maga base and being instead forced to accede to it.
2 mins
November 18, 2025
The Guardian
'For us, there is no safe place'
Returnees to France fearful of their fate
5 mins
November 18, 2025
The Guardian
Protection for money in banks and building societies to rise
The amount of a customer’s money protected if a UK bank or building society goes bust will rise to £120,000 next month, providing a boost to the nation’s savers.
1 mins
November 18, 2025
The Guardian
'How are we going to go? Don't know. But we are going to fight'
Gilbert Enoka, the famed former All Black mental skills coach, has been bringing his insight to England
4 mins
November 18, 2025
The Guardian
Dublin Rule changes could affect Irish relations
Attempts to toughen up the UK’s asylum rules could have significant implications for its relations with Ireland, according to Jim O'Callaghan, the Irish justice minister.
1 mins
November 18, 2025
Translate
Change font size